Suicide In Society

The Hidden Truth in Canada

Thoughts, acts and ideations of suicide have unfortunately been a part of Western society for generations. Although Freud hypothesized drug use to be indicative of a death wish on the part of the user, the fact remains that it is not only drug users who have or conjure up thoughts or wishes of death. According to a Canadian statistical survey done in 2005, the rates of suicide have remained relatively stable over the past five years however the age range in which people are attempting or completing suicide differ. For example, the number of deaths for children between the ages of 10-14 has almost doubled from 2001 to 2005 (27 vs. 43) and the number of Canadians over 75 experienced similar trends (36 vs. 66). Interestingly, the rates for what would be seen as the ‘higher-risk’ populations (ages 25-39) have been dropping slightly. To get a better understanding as to what a ‘high-risk’ population would look like, characteristics of such an individual and the relationship to drug use, see Figure 1 for a comparison chart.

Factors	Characteristics of High-Risk Individuals
Age	· Typically, the risk of suicide increases with age. Highest rates are between 15-24 and 45-49.
Sex	· Women are three times more likely to attempt suicide but twice as many men complete the act.
Race	· African-Americans attempt more than any other race however, Caucasians complete suicide more often.
Precipitating Circumstances	· Often results from loss, family crisis, interpersonal conflicts and a loss of health are circumstances frequently noted prior to suicide.
Depression	· Typically seen in half or more of suicidal cases.
Alcohol/Drug Use	· Used recklessly and can lead to impulsive or irrational behaviour; often used as a mechanism to slowly commit suicide.
Relationships	· Hostile upbringings, low economic status and physical abuse have been linked to suicide attempts.

Figure 1: Comparison of factors influencing suicide